Dry irish stout recommendations?

[chris_]

I want to start developing my own dry irish stout extract recipe. I've made one before from a kit that I really liked. I have a few different kinds of yeast (wyeast irish ale & nottingham), hops (east Kent Goulding & fuggled), and specialty grains to try experimenting with.

My question is about specialty grains though. In the recipe kit I liked I steeped a pound of roasted barely at 165F for 20min before boiling. I'm thinking that using a blend of crystal malt and roasted barely could be nice but I'm not sure on the ratio. Seems like it would be pretty different for extract than all grain.

Does 75% roasted barely, 25% crystal malt, sound like a good place to start? Does anyone have any experience with this kind of brew?

Thanks!

 

[DBhomebrew]

It's totally up to you, of course. Crystal leaves unfermentable carbs, adding a sweetness that might take the stout out of dry territory. Too much crystal could be cloyingly sweet.

When looking at all-grain recipes for inspiration, you can adjust the base malt amount to account for the sub to extract.

https://socohomebrew.com/easy-conversion-chart-convert-grain-to-lme-dme/

 

[fluketamer]

i have dried out my stouts while increasing body with both oat meal and barley. not at the same time although there is a three crops stout recipe somewhere here using both. the barley makes for a drier stout but still gives good mouthfeel. the oatmeal made it seam a little less dry perhaps there is more unfermentable from oats. or i guess my mash didnt convert them? i dont know.

but i find adding a pound of chocolate malt really brings out great chocolate and coffee aromas and flavor. i also use only a half pound of roasted and usually add a quarter pound of black patent to get them nice and black. i hate when my stouts looks more like brown porters. the patent also give them a guiness tannin hint.

i have added carapils for head and ...
gasp.. i dry them out with dextrose to the tune of up to 15 percent of the grist.

i know corn in a stout?

last i add maltodextrin ( 4 to 8 ounces per 4.5 gallons) to them frequently if on hand. nothing i can do naturally with grains gets me the lacing head retention creaminess tight bubbles etc like pure maltodextrin.
i know people hate using corn and MD

cheers

 

[passedpawn]

I would not put crystal malt or oats into a dry stout. You must have roasted barley. If you're looking for a Guinness clone, this is dang close. Drinking it now. It's a 5 gallon recipe, tweak it to hit about 4% ABV and 40 IBU.

 

[Miraculix]

You do not have to use roasted barley. You can use black malt, chocolate malt..... there is no such rule that says a stout has to contain roasted barley.

But I honestly think that roasted barley makes the best stout out of the list above!

I also like a midnight wheat stout to be fair. Now that I write about it, I do not know if I prefer a midnight wheat based stout or a roasted barley one. Midnight wheat is REALLY smooth, not much roast, but somehow a bit velvety.

Somewhere on my list was a wheat only stout, wheat malt plus midnight wheat with US 05 or similar. Must be good.

 

[day_trippr]

But I honestly think that roasted barley makes the best stout out of the list above!

Which is why one must use roasted barley in a stout

Cheers!

 

[mac_1103]

i know people hate using corn and MD

I don't. Maybe it's cheating or something, but if it gets me the result that I'm looking for...

 

[easttex]

My base Dry Irish Stout recipe is something like 80% Maris Otter, 10% flaked barley, 7% roasted barely, 3% Carafa III or black patent malt.

I haven't brewed it in a while and I don't have the recipe in front of me so I'm not 100% on the proportions but the above is close. I wanted something dark but low ABV. I regret this beer once a year.

 

[chris_]

Lots of great stuff in this thread. I don't want to make an Guiness clone exactly, but definitely something in that style. It sounds like it's probably best to not use any crystal malt at all. I think I'll leave it out and just experiment with the different yeasts, hops, and roasted barely I have to see which combination I like best.

Thanks!

 

[fluketamer]

i cant get the same quality head that i get with MD then i do with carapils
it lasts for days thick creamy small bubbles. the best lacing i wish i could get that from carapils

 

[easttex]

Lots of great stuff in this thread. I don't want to make an Guiness clone exactly, but definitely something in that style. It sounds like it's probably best to not use any crystal malt at all. I think I'll leave it out and just experiment with the different yeasts, hops, and roasted barely I have to see which combination I like best.

Thanks!

The proprietor of the homebrew shop I used to shop at told me that the basic dry Irish Stout recipe is roughly:

• 70% base barley malt
• 20% flaked barley
• 10% roasted barely

I have mostly adhered to that and I've never been disappointed.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

6 lb pale maris otter
2 lb flaked barley
1 lb roasted barley
2 oz Acidulated malt

2 oz E Kent Golding - 60 minutes

My go to recipe; I try to keep it on tap continuously, with another in the lineup. If I were only allowed one recipe from now on, this would be it.

Cheers

 

[Closet Fermenter]

6 lb pale maris otter
2 lb flaked barley
1 lb roasted barley
2 oz Acidulated malt

2 oz E Kent Golding - 60 minutes

My go to recipe; I try to keep it on tap continuously, with another in the lineup. If I were only allowed one recipe from now on, this would be it.

Cheers

 

[D.B.Moody]

Lots of great stuff in this thread. I don't want to make an Guiness clone exactly, but definitely something in that style. It sounds like it's probably best to not use any crystal malt at all. I think I'll leave it out and just experiment with the different yeasts, hops, and roasted barely I have to see which combination I like best.

Thanks!

My favorite stout recipe does use carmel malt. It's based on Charlie Papazian's "Toad Spit Stout" which he intended to be somewhat like Guiness. I posted it in the Extract Brewing Forum in the "I brewed a favorite recipe today" thread, p3, post #87. The grains are approximately 25% roasted barley, 25% black malt, and 50% 45L crystal malt with a dark DME base and East Kent Goldings hops.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Toad Spit Stout looks more like a foreign stout vs a dry stout. Crystal, higher OG, higher FG, higher ABV. Bet it's delicious, I very much enjoy export stout.

 

[balrog]

Jumping in late to the party @chris_ to recommend Josh Weikert's Dry Irish Stout from his "Make Your Best" series.

 

[DBhomebrew]

^It's tasty.

 

[bellhp]

I make Toad spit stout also ... it's a good one , doesn't last long around my house .

 

[uweschmitt]

In addition to the discussion about the malt bill: Keep pH during mash in the range 5.5-5.6 which helps with body and also gives a smoother stout. See also here: Adding Body to your Stout | Bru'n Water